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[alt_alice]

We're having a meeting at Sherwood, working through everyone's reports and sorting out our next steps. We've showed our hand somewhat now that they know some of our weapons capacities, and we'll certainly have to make adjustments. It's quite clear that although the flash-bombs worked to prevent apparation, for instance, they proved equally effective against both sides in active fighting situations, which was a decidedly mixed blessing.

Ron, Hydra, Justin, your reports have proven quite invaluable, and we truly

Comments

Private message to Alice, Remus, Sirius, Severus, Kingsley, Bill, and Charlie

[alt_rachel]

Right. Not that this is a great time for you to be dealing with this, but I want to tell you about it while it's fresh in my mind. (This is what I PM'd Sirius and Severus about, earlier. I told Bill in person, at his flat just now.)

I got an owl from Narcissa Malfoy yesterday, inviting me over for tea so she could thank me for my 'help' the day Draco 'tragically died.' As you recall, I made sure the Malfoys knew right away, so that they could blast Draco's name off their tapestry and cover up that he was actually still alive. Narcissa guessed, at some point, that I was part of the group that was protecting Draco. She's kept it a secret -- possibly because it would have been hard to report without implicating herself, possibly because we've been her fallback plan since it became clear Lucius wouldn't be able to keep himself safe.

She wants us to get Lucius out of Azkaban.

I told her to have any chance of accomplishing this I'd need some of Bellatrix's hair. She promised she'd get it.

I don't know if an Azkaban breakout is possible, with or without Bella's hair -- I demanded it because I thought it might be useful, and it's nearly impossible to get under normal circumstances, and because it implicates her thoroughly enough to make it extremely difficult for her to turn on us later.

I definitely don't know if we want a liability like Lucius on our hands. Though, as I noted to Sirius and Severus -- Lucius knows a lot, and I believe his first loyalty is to Narcissa. If he knows she approached us, gave us her sister's hair, cooperated in the breakout -- even if he has the opportunity to return to his master, he won't do it unless he can think of a way to get Narcissa out of danger. If he believes the only real safety for his family lies in our victory, he may even cooperate fully. Severus suggested I have Narcissa write a letter in her own hand, sealed with her own magic, saying that she approached us of her own free will.

Sirius suggested the alternative of sending me into hiding. I'll do that, if I'm ordered to. But you should know she also threatened the Weasleys, because she knows of my association with Bill. I think if you'd prefer not to take the risk of an Azkaban raid, it will be better for me to stay where I am, and gamble that Narcissa will judge it too risky to turn on me. If I'm wrong, I expect it'll be me she turns in, not Bill.

Narcissa's preference is for us to slip Lucius out so quietly no one knows it's happened. Which could probably be done -- we could trade him for Otto Strangeweale and the dementors will never notice. But both Sirius and Severus suggested we consider a larger breakout, if we're actually going to do this. Though in that case, I should try to find a way to check the paperwork on who's in there so we can leave behind the actual murderers when we pull out potential allies.

Private message to Bill

[alt_rachel]

I'm sorry to have put your family at risk.

This is why I spent years avoiding close associations with anyone I actually liked.

Re: Private message to Alice, Remus, Sirius, Severus, Kingsley, Bill, and Charlie

[alt_alice]

Bloody hell.

Thank you for telling me.

This deserves more attention than I can give it at the moment. I do know that I would like to weigh whether a larger breakout would be worth the potential cost. So yes, please do what you can to find out who else may be there.

We will talk further. Soon.

Re: Private message to Bill

[alt_bill]

There's no point at all in going down that road, love. We were always at risk, you know, long before I met you. We were at risk from the first moment that Dad took the oath. We were at risk from Percy for years. Bloody hell, we're used to it.

I don't regret anything between us, you know. Not even for Stephen McGivern, because I know you were offering him a mercy he couldn't have had any other way. I have no regrets even if I end up dying for it.

But I'll fight like hell to make sure I don't, along with the rest of my family and the Order. And that includes you.